By Mary Dodge Allen
"I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure." - Eric Liddell
Eric displayed his athletic talent at an early age, playing cricket and rugby at Eltham College. He became captain of both teams and earned the Blackheath Cup as the best athlete of his year.
In 1920, Eric enrolled in the University of Edinburgh. While studying for a bachelor's degree in Pure Science, he excelled at rugby because of his speed as a sprinter. He eventually chose running over rugby and went on to win so many races, he became known as the fastest runner in Scotland. Newspapers even nicknamed Eric, "The Flying Scotsman." It was no surprise that he was chosen to be part of the 1924 British Olympic Team.
1924 Paris Summer Olympics:
Those who have seen the movie Chariots of Fire, (1982 Oscar for Best Picture), are familiar with Eric Liddell's dilemma. As a devout Christian, he withdrew from the 100-meter race (his best event) when he discovered the heats were scheduled on a Sunday.
The movie incorrectly showed Eric learning about the Olympic schedule as he traveled to Paris. In reality, he learned about it and announced his decision months in advance. The press created a furor, and some newspapers called him a 'traitor to his country' for pulling out of the 100-meter race - the one he was most favored to win.
Eric Liddell stayed true to his convictions, despite the public outcry. He told a friend, "It's just my belief. I don't criticize others about it, but I'm not going to run on the Sunday."
Eric trained, instead, for the Olympic 400-meter race.
On the morning of the race, he received a folded paper from one of the team masseurs, which read, "In the old book it says: 'He that honors me I will honor.'" It was a Bible quote - I Samuel 2:30. This note profoundly touched Eric, to know that someone other than his coach believed in him and his controversial decision.
Newly inspired, Eric began the 400-meter race with remarkable speed, flashing past the other runners. He retained this stunning pace throughout the race, finishing well ahead of the pack. Eric gave an amazing Gold medal performance that set a new Olympic/World Record time of 47.6 seconds.
The London Times described it as, "probably the most dramatic race ever seen on a running track."
Eric also earned a Bronze medal in the 200-meter race.
Homecoming:
When the team returned to England, Eric was treated like a hero. Huge crowds welcomed the Olympic team home, and Eric was cheered while being carried on the shoulders of his teammates. Eric Liddell teenage fan clubs were even formed.
Eric could have become wealthy. He received offers to earn money by doing product endorsements, giving speeches and writing newspaper columns. He was also offered prestigious teaching assignments and lucrative positions in business and banking.
But Eric refused to cash in on his celebrity status, because he felt it would tarnish the gift God had given him to run fast. He chose to become a missionary in China, like his parents.
Mission Work in China:
In 1925, Eric returned to China. He taught science at the Anglo-Chinese College in Tianjin, near Beijing, and coached students in various sports. He also taught Sunday School at Union Church, where his father served as pastor.
He occasionally competed as a runner in China. He won both the 200 and 400-meter races at the 1928 South Manchurian Railway celebration, winning against the French and Japanese Olympic teams. He was also the winner in the 1930 North China championship.
Eric returned to Scotland twice, on furlough. During his first visit in 1932, he was ordained as a minister of the Congregational Union of Scotland.
While there, he was asked if he had any regrets, leaving behind the fame of athletics. Eric replied:
"It's natural for a chap to think over all that sometimes, but I'm glad I'm at the work I'm engaged in now. A fellow's life counts for far more at this, than the other."
Eric returned to China, and in 1934, he married Florence Mackenzie, the daughter of Canadian Missionary parents. She remained by his side, doing missionary work.
In 1941, the British government advised British nationals to leave China because of the danger from the Japanese invaders. By this time, Eric had two young daughters, Patricia and Heather, and Florence was pregnant with their third child. Eric arranged for them to leave for Canada, where they would stay with her family members.
Eric elected to stay in China and help his brother Rob, a doctor serving impoverished families at a rural mission station. The need for medical care was critical, and missionaries worked round the clock, to the point of exhaustion.
Rob became too ill to work and left on a furlough to Scotland. Eric and the others stayed on, doing whatever they could to help. When the Japanese troops reached the mission station, they took over.
Weihsien Japanese Prison Camp:
In 1943, Eric and other missionaries were interned at this camp, which held over 1500 civilian prisoners. An estimated 500 of them were children without parents.
Eric soon became active in the squalid camp, working in the kitchen, chopping wood, helping the elderly, leading Bible studies and teaching science to the children, who called him 'Uncle Eric.' He also organized softball games and track races for them. Every morning he woke early and spent time praying, even for the Japanese guards.
A camp survivor, Langdon Gilkey, said this about Eric:
"Often in an evening I would see him bent over a chessboard or a model boat, or directing some sort of square dance - absorbed, weary and interested, pouring all of himself into this effort to capture the imagination of these penned-up youths. He was overflowing with good humor and love for life, and with enthusiasm and charm. It is rare indeed that a person has the good fortune to meet a saint, but he came as close to it as anyone I have ever known."
By the end of 1944, fellow prisoners noticed Eric looked more weary than usual. He began walking stoop-shouldered, often becoming dizzy. Eric dismissed his symptoms and continued working.
Eric's Last Race:
Eric had regularly organized camp races, scratching the starting and finish lines in the hard earth. He usually started well behind the other racers, to give them a better chance. These races provided a morale boost for the entire camp. Even the guards in the watchtowers eagerly peered down to see the Olympic Gold-medalist run.
Eric won every race, except his last... where he came in second. Months of illness, overwork and malnourishment had sapped his strength. Eric died of a brain tumor on February 21, 1925, only five months before liberation.
His death stunned the entire camp. He was buried in a garden near the Japanese officers' quarters, and his grave was marked with a simple wooden cross.
Fellow missionary and friend Annie Buchan heard Eric's last words, before he sank into a coma and died. He said: "Annie, it's complete surrender."
Eric Liddell's Legacy:
Florence Liddell gave birth to their daughter, Maureen, while living with her family in Canada. Eric never got the chance to meet his third daughter.
The Eric Liddell Community was set up in Edinburgh, Scotland and granted charitable status in 1981. It is dedicated to bringing people in local communities together, supporting people of all ages to enhance health and well-being, as an expression of compassionate Christian values.
In 2002, Eric was one of the first to be inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, topping the public vote for the most popular sports hero Scotland had ever produced.
In 1991, the University of Edinburgh erected a memorial granite headstone for Eric at the former prison camp site in Shandong Province, (which is now called Weifang). Its inscription is taken from Isaiah 40:31:
"They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary."
Eric Liddell never wavered in his Christian faith. He had surrendered his entire life to God and continued serving others to his dying day. He is someone I wish I had known.
Mary Dodge Allen is currently finishing her sequel to Hunt for a Hometown Killer. She's won a Christian Indie Award, an Angel Book Award, and two Royal Palm Literary Awards (Florida Writer's Association). She and her husband live in Central Florida. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers.
No comments:
Post a Comment